Moment Russian falls from top of giant pine tree as he tries to fly Soviet flag

A video showing a man climbing a pine tree to hang a Soviet Union flag at the top before falling off has circulated on pro-Ukrainian social media accounts. The video, which could not be independently verified by the Daily Express, was shared on X by the former adviser to Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Minister (2021–2023), Anton Gerashchenko.

The footage, which appeared on the Telegram channel with updates on the war in Ukraine @karymat, shows the man slowly climbing the tree and reaching the top in an attempt to attach a USSR flag to its peak. Moments later, a branch breaks, causing him to suddenly fall to the ground, snapping dry branches as he goes. The fall appeared sudden and uncrontrolled.

Two other men, presumably Russian, can be seen standing in front of the camera. They both raise their right arms and, after showing a peace sign, one of them appears to do a brief Nazi salute before turning around as the man behind them falls. Throughout the video’s duration, the men can be heard screaming and shouting in Russian.

The video has sparked amusement on social media. One user commented that the footage depicts “The Rise and Fall of the USSR in 10 Seconds,” while another joked that “more than a bit of alcohol was flowing there” and that “they didn’t even notice him falling off.”

Another user wrote: “I hope the tree is okay.”

The video continues to spread online, racking up views and reactions.

It comes as Russian troops have infiltrated the strategic city of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine and are now trying to surround it. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones attacked ports in Kerch and the Krasnodar Krain of the Russian Federation.